LOVE YOUR HEART: Five Ways to Reduce Your Risk of Heart Disease
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the U.S., claiming 610,000 lives every year. By making a few lifestyle changes, you can effectively manage your cholesterol and blood pressure levels—early precursors of heart disease. [info source: cdc.gov/heartdisease]
Follow these five strategies for a heart-healthy life:
- Stay away from tobacco. The chemicals in tobacco harm your blood cells, damage the lining of your arteries, increase your cholesterol, and destroy the function of your heart and blood vessels. A one-pack-a-day smoker is twice as likely as a non-smoker to have a heart attack. If you smoke, vape or chew, quitting is the best thing you can do for your good health.
- Get 30 minutes of exercise every day. Regular exercise strengthens your heart and lungs, lowers blood pressure, increases good cholesterol and reduces bad cholesterol. Physical activity lowers your risk for heart disease and many other chronic conditions.
- Maintain a healthy weight. Excess weight, especially around your middle, strains your heart, raises blood pressure and cholesterol, and increases your risk for heart disease. If you are overweight or obese, losing 5% of your starting weight can greatly reduce your risk.
- Eat better. Make vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts and beans the centerpieces of your meals. Eating the right foods can reduce your risk for heart disease by helping you control your weight, blood pressure and cholesterol.
- Drink alcohol in moderation (if at all). Although moderate drinking–no more than 1 drink a day for women and 2 for men–may protect some people against heart disease, regular, excessive or binge drinking can hurt your heart muscle and increase your blood pressure.
- Kaiser Permanente: Making heart-healthy choices.
- Providence: Get tips for heart-healthy eating.
- Regence: A cardiologist’s advice for a healthy heart.
AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION: Can Be Life-Saving
You pay nothing for preventive care, not even a copay or the deductible. But there’s a big payoff: preventive care, which includes screenings, checkups and immunizations, can help you stay healthy and detect serious issues early, when they are most effectively treated.
In fact, 100,000 lives would be saved every year, if everyone got the preventive care recommended by the US Preventive Services Task Force. Yours—or the life of someone you love—could be one of them.
Get the most from your preventive care benefits by making an appointment with your in-network doctor for a checkup. The doctor will let you know what services are right for you, based on your gender, age and health history.
- Kaiser Permanente: Log in to view your medical record to see what services you’re due for, or schedule an appointment online.
- Providence: Get started by finding a doctor.
- Regence: Get started by finding a doctor.
BENEFIT CARDS: Keep Your Health Plan ID Cards Every Year
The FIRST time you enroll in benefits, you’ll get Medical and Dental Plan ID cards. After that, be sure to keep your ID cards each year, because you’ll only get a new card when you:
- Change plans
- Add eligible dependents
CVS Caremark participants may print a prescription ID card at Caremark.com. Log in, then click Plan & Benefits and Print Member ID card.
No card is required for VSP participants, but you may print one at vsp.com if you’d like.
Did you know? You can access your ID card on your smartphone by using the provider’s app. Then, you can show a digital copy when you receive health care services or pick up prescriptions. You’ll never forget your card again!
- Kaiser Permanente: Get the app here.
- Providence: Get the app here.
- Regence: Get the app here.
- VSP: Get started here.
- CVS Caremark: Get the app here.
YOUR DEPENDENTS: Life Events May Mean Benefit Changes
If your dependent is no longer eligible for benefit coverage, it’s up to you to notify the Trust Administrative Office (Zenith American Solutions) within 31 days. Here are some common examples of when eligibility ends:
- Your child has his/her 26th birthday.
- You separate or divorce your spouse.
- You dissolve a domestic partnership.
- A dependent begins active military duty.
You may be required to repay the Trust for any benefits paid after your dependent’s eligibility ends, if you do not stop his/her coverage.
You may also add eligible dependents when you have a qualifying event—for example, get married or begin a domestic partnership, have or adopt a baby, or gain legal guardianship. Be sure to enroll your newly eligible dependent within 31 days of the event. See My Life Events on sdtrust.com for details.